Rapper remanded for insulting Islam

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22, (AFP): A Malaysian rapper was remanded in custody by a court Monday for a music video entitled “Oh my” which allegedly insults Islam because it was partly filmed in a mosque.

Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, will be held for four days, a Penang district police chief, Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, told AFP.

He said the rapper was being investigated for defiling a place of worship with the intent of insulting a religion.

The rapper, who is also a film director, could possibly face up to two years in jail, a fine, or both, according to local media.

The video featured footage of Namewee and other singers, dressed in outfits representing various cultures and religions, performing inside a Penang mosque and a church as well as Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist temples.

Namewee was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport where he was returning from overseas late Sunday.

Investigations were ongoing after he was remanded by the Penang court.

Malaysia generally practises a moderate brand of Islam. But religious tensions have simmered in recent years, with Muslim moderates and followers of other religions expressing concern at a steady rise of conservative Islamic attitudes.